PORT HARCOURT — The proposed resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland, Rivers State, has continued to generate controversy among stakeholders, with Ogoni youths demanding greater participation in the emerging opportunities, including the creation of up to 500 jobs for young people from the area.
The demand comes amid renewed efforts by the Federal Government to reopen discussions on oil exploration in Ogoniland, more than three decades after oil production was suspended following years of environmental protests and agitation by the Ogoni people.
While some Ogoni stakeholders have welcomed the renewed engagement with the Federal Government, others remain opposed to any resumption of oil activities until outstanding environmental, political and social grievances are addressed.
The disagreement has also extended to the handling of employment opportunities reportedly allocated to Ogoni by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) as part of confidence-building measures ahead of the proposed negotiations.
The apex socio-cultural organisation of the Ogoni people, KAGOTE, recently questioned the transparency surrounding the distribution of the employment slots, saying stakeholders were yet to receive adequate information about how the beneficiaries were selected.
KAGOTE President, Chief Lesi Maol, urged the Federal Government, particularly the Office of the National Security Adviser, to clarify the process and ensure that employment opportunities meant for Ogoni people were distributed transparently.
A member of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee and Second Vice-President of KAGOTE, Rear Admiral John Nicholas Bapko (rtd.), also raised concerns over the matter, saying he was unable to determine how the reported NNPCL employment opportunities had been shared among the four Ogoni local government areas.
The four local government areas that make up Ogoniland are Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme. The controversy over employment comes as different Ogoni groups continue to advance competing positions on the proposed return of oil exploration. Some youth groups and other stakeholders believe the resumption could provide much-needed employment, business opportunities and infrastructure for the predominantly youthful population, provided that the people are adequately involved in the process.
Other groups, however, insist that oil production should not resume until the environmental degradation caused by decades of oil operations has been sufficiently addressed.
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), which played a leading role in the historic campaign against oil-related environmental degradation in Ogoniland, has repeatedly called for justice, meaningful consultation and safeguards for the Ogoni people.
Earlier, several Ogoni communities in Tai Local Government Area protested alleged oil activities in the area, demanding that the Federal Government halt operations until the communities are properly consulted and outstanding grievances resolved.
The protesters argued that some affected communities had suffered severe destruction and displacement and that oil activities should not return without adequate restoration and guarantees for the safety and welfare of residents.
However, other Ogoni stakeholders have taken a more conciliatory position, arguing that the people should negotiate with the Federal Government to secure maximum economic benefits from their natural resources rather than reject oil exploration outright.
MOSOP President, Fegalo Nsuke, has also projected that ongoing federal government projects and renewed economic activities in Ogoniland could generate hundreds of thousands of jobs over the coming years if the process is properly managed.
The Federal Government, through the ongoing Ogoni dialogue, has been pursuing confidence-building measures intended to create an atmosphere conducive to negotiations over the future of oil exploration in the area.
Among the issues previously raised by Ogoni stakeholders are employment opportunities for indigenes, development of local businesses, infrastructure, environmental remediation, establishment of an environmental university and greater participation of Ogoni people in the management of economic activities in the area.
The Federal Government’s efforts have also included engagements involving the Office of the National Security Adviser, NNPCL, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), the Rivers State Government and representatives of Ogoni stakeholders.
The proposed resumption has therefore placed employment at the centre of the wider debate, with youths seeking assurances that the return of oil-related activities will translate into tangible economic opportunities for local people rather than merely another cycle of resource extraction.
The demand for 500 jobs is also likely to intensify calls for a clearly defined employment framework covering all four Ogoni local government areas, with transparent criteria for recruitment and mechanisms to prevent political or sectional domination of opportunities.
For many stakeholders, the question is no longer simply whether oil exploration should return to Ogoniland, but under what conditions it should return and what concrete benefits will accrue to the people who host the resources.
As the Federal Government’s dialogue continues, stakeholders are expected to intensify consultations in an effort to bridge the widening differences among Ogoni communities and agree on a common position that balances economic development, environmental protection and justice.
The success of the process, observers say, will ultimately depend on the extent to which the Federal Government and the various Ogoni groups can build trust, ensure transparency and guarantee meaningful participation by the people in decisions concerning their land and resources.